Aerial and the like



Nov. 7, 1939. A. T. MACE AERIAL AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 14, 1939 l INVENTOR. ehw? 7' MACE g Il lllllllllllillllllliill IIIII I la 52 ATTORNEY;

Patented Nov. 7, 1.939

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,179,415 n AERIAL No 'rm-z una Arthur T. Mace, East Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to The Radiart Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio This invention relates to telescopically extensible members and more particularly to an automobile antenna which may be telescoped when not in use or extended for reception with the vehicle radio.

Telescoping aerials such as are used on automobiles must meet certain rigid requirements which are increasingly diiilcult to comply with and still produce an economical unit which may be easily manufactured in large quantities at relatively low cost.

The general object of my invention has been to provide an aerial of the type indicated, which may be easily extended and resiliently retained in any desired position and always maintain an efficient electrical connection between the parts. A further object has been to provide an aerial or the like in which the telescoping members do not rattle together and produce undesirable noise. Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the drawing and the following description and are summarized in the claims. While the invention has been developed for aerial use it is adapted to other uses calling for similar devices.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims; the annexed drawing and the following description setting forth in detail certain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one of various mechanical A forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawing:

Fig. 1 is a sectional perspective of my improved aerial in an extended position;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the parts telescoped together;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged broken perspective showing details of the device as in Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a section through Fig. 2 as indicated by the line 4-4 thereon; and

Fig. 5 is a detail of the lower end of the aerial.

The purpose of the aerial is, of course, to conduct Wave signals from the outside air to the radio in the vehicle and I have found that the construction just described results in a more positive and eiicient connection between the various portions of the device than has heretofore been obtained. In any aerial, particularly in vehicle use, if one of the parts maintains poor contact with the other part or if there is no contact,l the result is to provide a condenser at this point which decreases the quality of the reception and also varies the point on the dial where a given station is received in a manner analogous to the variation secured with an ordinary variable condenser. These faults I overcome with my im- 5 proved device.

Referring now to Fig. 2, I provide a hollow tubular member I0, which at one end is shaped to be received in a female fitting I2 and secured therein by a set screw I4. The unsupported end l0 of the tube I0 is swaged inwardly as at I5 to provide a neck of restricted diameter less than the diameter of the main body portion thereof.

A second tubular member or sleeve Il is slidably received in the sleeve I0 and is of a general l5 diameter to snugly engage the restricted portion of the rst mentioned sleeve. The sleeve I5 is provided at its inner end with a portion of enlarged diameter which lies closely adjacent to the inner wall of the tubular member I0. The un- 20 supported or exposed end of the sleeve Il is swaged inwardly as at I9 to provide a reduced diameter neck portion.

Slidably received within the neck is a rod 20, preferably solid, which forms the inner telescop- 25 ing member of the unit. By pulling on the exposed end the rod 20 is withdrawn from the sleeve I1 and on engagement of the inner end of 1 the rod with the restricted portion I9 as hereinafter described, the sleeve Il is in turn withdrawn 30 until its enlarged diameter portion engages the reduced diameter portion I5 of the main tubular member or sleeve l0 at which time the aerial is extended for use.

To retain the main member I0 and the inner 35 member Il in any desired position with respect to each other, a V shaped spring 22 is positioned between the members. This spring is formed to be slightly concave longitudinally such that a straight line on the exterior of the spring con- 40 necting the end points of the apex lies an appreciable distance from the spring at the mid portion thereof; As a consequence the spring 22 exerts a two directional clamping action to secure the sleeves I0 and I1 in position with respect 45 to each other.

lThe convex shaping of the spring generally results in the mid portion of the spring bearing more firmly against the sleeve I1 than do the end portions, and conversely, the end portions of the 50 spring ybear more iirmly against the sleeve Il than does the central portion.

A second clamping action is secured by means of the spring as a result of the wedging action between the sleeves I Il and Il and the spring,

and as best shown in Fig. 4. Under ideal conditions, which can be closely approximated in practice. the outer longitudinal edges ofthe spring 22 and the outer edge of the apex all bear against the sleeve III. Similarly ythe spring material along a longitudinal line at the mid region of each of the inner faces of the spring lies in resilient contact with the sleeve I1, all as shown in Fig. 4.

The net result of the dual action of the spring 22 is to hold the two tubular members i0 and i1 with respect to each other with a uniform pressure which allows the device to be easily telescoped or extended and retained in the adjusted position. 'Ihe peculiar configuration of the spring further acts to prevent rattling of the two adjacent sleeves when the device is' telescoped together, and which rattling is generally occasioned by intermittent contact between the mid portions of the two adjacent aerial members.

To secure the sleeve 22 in the desired position within the sleeve ill, a plug 25 is provided which is wedged into the lower end of the latter sleeve and tightly grips the spring 22 between itself and the adJacent member wall.

A resilient waved spring member is provided to similarly position the rod at any desired point within the sleeve i1. To this end a narrow longitudinal wavy spring 30 is provided and positioned so that the crests of the waves lie against the inner face of the sleeve i1 and the troughs thereof bear against the rod 2li. The resiliency of the material and the configuration of the waves is such that the rod may be retained in any desired position within the sleeve, either extended or telescoped therein.

Rattling between the rod., and the sleeve i1 is prevented by thisV same spring configuration since in effect I actually provide a series of resilient spacing members extending longitudinally along the entire opposing surface portions of the sleeve and rod respectively.

The spring 30 is secured within the sleeve I1 by a plug 32 in a manner precisely identical with that employed for the plug and the spring 22,

To cooperate with the spring in positioning the rod within the tubular member, I provide a third spring 35 which is spot welded at I6 to the rod 20 and which is of a resilient configuration such that it bears against the adjacent side of the sleeve i1. The springs 30 and 35 are preferably so positioned that they are substantially opposite each other on opposite sidesthe longitudinal axis of the aerial.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that I have provided a novel teiescoping unit which may be easily extended or closed and which is not subject to rattling of the parts in any position. It will be further-seen that by means of the novel spring construction described. I provide a uniform telescoping' for all of the parts which results in easy positioning and avoids any danger of jamming.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the structure herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. In a device of the class described. a hollow tubular member, a second member adapted to slide within said tubular member and a longitudinally waved spring interposed between said two members and positioned such that the crests of the waves bear against one member and the troughs bear against the other member to resilientiy position the said two members with respect to each other.

2. In a device of the class described, a hollow tubular member, a second member adapted to slide within said tubular member anda longitudinall'y waved spring interposed between said two members and positioned such that the crests of the waves bear against one member and the troughs bear against the other member and a second spring carried by one member and bearing against the other member on the opposite side of the longitudinal axis of said device to resiliently position the said two members with respect to each other.

3. In an automobile radio antenna, two elongated members mounted for sliding movement relative to each other and adapted to cooperate to provide a signal receiving antenna and a waved spring member with a series of waves extending lengthwise thereof interposed between said two members and positioned such that the crests of the waves bear against one member and the troughs bear against the other member to resiliently position the said two members with respect w 

